Read Jason Priestley’s Touching Tribute to ‘90210’ Co-Star Luke Perry

Beverly Hills 90210 and Riverdale fans are still grieving the loss of Luke Perry, who died earlier this week at the way-too-young age of 52, so you can only imagine how his collaborators feel. Today, Perry’s longtime co-star on Beverly Hills 90210Jason Priestley said it took “several days to figure out how to write this” then posted this tribute to his Instagram:

My dear friend of 29 years, Luke Perry, was one of those truly special people who really cared... Luke was not only a star, he was an incredibly bright light that was extinguished far too soon... and that is why I, and so many others, are in so much pain today... If you had the good fortune to know Luke, or to have ever crossed his path, I know you are sad today as well... the candle that burns twice as bright only burns for half as long... you burned oh, so brightly Luke...

Priestley and Perry starred together on the first sixth seasons of Beverly Hills 90210. (By the time Perry returned to the series in its ninth season, Priestly had already left.) Priestley later directed Perry in the Hallmark Channel movie Goodnight for Justice, a Western in which Perry played the awesomely named character John Goodnight. The two will always be linked through their time on 90210, which is now getting a revival series with much of its original cast in the near future. It will be interesting to see how the show will deal with Perry’s death, if at all.